The Way the World Ends
by Breviary-Rose
Summary: This story begins when Thor is banished to earth. The twist is that an unsuspecting astrophysicist is swept away from earth at the same time. With the Jotun breach and his brother's banishment still fresh, Loki deals with her on Odin's behalf concurrently as he faces the crossroads of a path of betrayal or a path of redemption. And will Thor ever be truly worthy? [Lokane]
1. Our whispers are quiet and meaningless

_"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper."_

―T.S. Elliot, _The Hollow Men_

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 **Chatter & Notes:**

This story was inspired by three very different stories I've been working with over the past few months up to a year. I haven't had an itch to begin a new Lokane story for a while, so I want to capitalize on this opportunity. I _know_ I have two other "in progress" stories with two different categories. I've updated them at a pace I am content with. Neither story have gone terribly ignored. I'm just stupendously busy with work to place myself in the proper headspace for either right this second. I'm intending this story to be a bit lighter than the other two I'm currently writing.

 **Synopsis:**

This story begins when Thor is banished to earth. The twist is that an unsuspecting astrophysicist is swept away from earth at the same time. With the Jotun breach and his brother's banishment still fresh, Loki deals with her on Odin's behalf concurrently as he faces the crossroads of a path of betrayal or a path of redemption. And will Thor ever be truly worthy?

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 **Our Whispers Are Quiet and Meaningless**

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Kaleidoscopic, iridescent rainbow lights danced around the vehicle, whose inside gadgets and contents _zapped_ , _beeped_ , and _honked_ loudly. Three ordinary humans occupied the tight spaces the machines did not.

A student with thick black curly hair whirled around with her hands on her ears, "Jane! What the hell is going on?"

The astrophysicist's features were ignited with wonder and a maniacal calm. Large brown eyes observed the happenings beyond the cracking glass with a childlike and dangerous curiosity that was as illuminated as a hot beacon of light captured on the shore of vast, treacherous ocean. When the student barked at her once more, she winced away from her state and turned, "It's my theory! I was right!"

An older man raised an impatient brow and reached for her, but was shunned by Darcy's howling, "What?"

Jane held a wondrous grin that perfectly displayed the tight string of joy about to break from her features. Her attention reluctantly snapped away from the commotion outside the vehicle and settled on the wary intern, "Take your hands away from your ears!" Her hands cupped her own ears as if to demonstrate the issue.

Darcy animatedly shook her head and sealed her mouth to a frown, "Nuh-uh! My brain is going to ooze if I move them with all this noise!"

The astrophysicist garnered her excitement and threw her eyes to the hand-held screen her fingers coiled over. The readings were foreign to her, which was odd considering she had invented every last setting and sound of the device herself.

"This is it, Erik!" Jane Foster hollered over the absurd noises bouncing around the vehicle. She kept the pad in her left hand as she curled her fingers around the door handle of the passenger side of the large van.

When the door popped ajar, Erik threw his hand at her, "You can't go out there!"

"I need a closer look! We may never have this chance again, Erik! I'm not wasting this!" she countered resolutely.

He frowned and tightened his grip, "We cannot afford to be stupid about this, Jane!"

Despite the pressure, she slipped out of his grip, but clumsily spilled out of the car. Perhaps a seatbelt could have spared her the inflicted knee scrape. Too late now! Jane turned around and slammed the door shut as she moved closer to the center of the cylinder of lights. They was so bright that she had to use a hand to shield her eyes from them.

Hesitantly, she cast a quick look at the hand-held and saw it was not even legible. The screen was shaking with static, but she hit it anyway. Sometimes it helped. This time it did not, though.

"Damn it!" she muttered as she glanced straight up again, swearing her eyes beheld the shape of a man.

Suddenly, the world became dark and she swore she felt pain and warm traces of blood, but she couldn't tell if it was someone else's or her own.

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"Whosoever holds of this hammer, if you be worthy, you posses the power of Thor," Odin quietly uttered against the Hammer before tossing it into the Bifrost.

Loki's eyes were bright red and they hurt, "Father..."

The Allfather stood silent in his boots. After his brief pause and open reluctance, he cast his attention to his other son. He quickly rushed over to Loki, embracing him in a painful hug, "You tried, my son..." Loki clung onto the words of disappointment like an anchor at his feet.

The plan shouldn't have strayed so far from his control. None of this should be happening. Regardless, Loki looked over Odin's armored shoulder to examine his exposed arm. What in the world was happening? Had his magic protected him? Was he somehow immune to the lethal physical touch of Frost Giants?

His ignorance halted.

His heart violated his mind and infiltrated his unbreakable guard. The prince closed his eyes and swallowed. Thankfully, he had total control over how he appeared to others. He called out to his magic and felt it wrap over him as he pulled away from the Allfather. Within the barrier, Loki frowned harshly and released straggling tears. Odin would only see a sad smile provoke his otherwise somber features.

That action made sense for the situation. Loki should be remorseful of his brother's banishment, but understanding of the Allfather's reason. He knew his position well. It hadn't ever changed. Now, he only felt more lost than ever. Loki could feel the dangerous thoughts plaguing his loyalties and reason, mixing and twisting with them until he could no longer see which were real or false.

Odin nodded once and turned away from him.

Something impaled Loki's back, tugging him down as it weighed down his long green cape. He gracefully and swiftly jumped up and grabbed hold of his knife. His eyes softened slightly as he lingered over the body of an unconscious woman...a human. His lip curled with a hint of disgust as he lifted his free hand to the back of his head to inspect it for injury. He knew there would be none, but it was comforting to know for sure.

"Who is she?" Odin hollered as he glared at Heimdall.

Heimdall withdrew the large two-handed blade and stepped closer to the woman. Loki placed his hand on the Allfather's shoulder, "You've dealt with enough today, father. I will take care of this matter." He adjusted the magic enveloping him to softly speak, "Go to mother."

Odin raised a brow, but ultimately nodded without a word. "Heimdall, ensure the Bifrost is sealed, so we have no more unwelcome visitors...Jotun or no."

Heimdall bowed obediently and replied, "Your Majesty."

Loki's eyes hovered over Odin's back and skillfully shifted his outward appearance to appear longing and understanding. Inwardly, he sneered. Asgard had never more felt like a cage. So potently did the loss of normalcy grip and scratch away at him until it disbanded shape and clung over to suffocate him slowly. He swallowed and made sure Heimdall would see no change in his demeanor.

"What will you do with the woman?" the gatekeeper questioned curiously.

The prince narrowed his eyes down at the battered and a bit bloodied thing. Her hair covered her face, but he was far from interested in studying her specimen. Instantly, he closed in on her predatorily and swooped her up in his arms despite the fashioned and clean dressings that shined over him. The servants could use a task to complete in his unkind opinion.

His eyes lazily stationed over her light form and raised his attention to Heimdall, "We will act in the same regard of a Jotun or enemy. We do not know how she arrived. With the latest breach, I am unsettled by the mystery that shrouds her. She will be healed accordingly and kept under my discreet supervision in the cells below the palace for now."

Ruthless eyes softened a little when she mewed a soft grunt...possibly in pain, he'd imagine. The noise disrupted his dark, tunneled thoughts momentarily. His interest piqued, but he would not allow Heimdall the satisfaction. Instead, he made himself appear rather dull and distracted as he towed her away in his tightening but gentle grasp.

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 **Breviary-Rose**

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 _All reviews and reads are highly appreciated._


	2. Between the potency and the existence

_"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper."_

―T.S. Elliot, _The Hollow Men_

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 **Chatter & Notes:**

I already have this story thoroughly developed! I can't really ever say that anymore. Most of it is lighter than my other stories, but there WILL be snippets where it gets heavier. I've found a perfect balance! I can't wait to pursue this story with you all. Thank you for all the kind words from chapter 1! I wasn't expecting that to take off as quickly as it did. I'm using this story as a chance to further my writing style, so it may be different than others you've read from me. I hope that's a good thing. :)

Enjoy! I had so much fun writing this specific chapter with Jane! For background music, I was listening to "I Ran" by Hidden Citizens for this one despite the need for epic music. :p

 **Synopsis:**

This story begins when Thor is banished to earth. The twist is that an unsuspecting astrophysicist is swept away from earth at the same time. With the Jotun breach and his brother's banishment still fresh, Loki deals with her on Odin's behalf concurrently as he faces the crossroads of a path of betrayal or a path of redemption. And will Thor ever be truly worthy?

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 **Between the potency and the existence**

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A tender brush of life stirred within Jane, who only felt the comfort of a cold object against her cheek. A distinct burst of groaning emerged as she sprang out of the blackness that swept her away. She threw herself toward the noises sliding against her ears. The voices heard were not familiar. Neither sounded like Erik or Darcy. The male's articulation sounded both pompous and young. _Far_ too young to be Erik's. The woman oddly sounded quite old... _much_ too old for the boisterous Darcy Lewis.

Light began penetrating her eyelids, and she eventually opened them. Only when she tapped on the door of consciousness did she actually hear what was being said. The language sounded foreign and forgotten. In fact, as she tried manipulating her memory to recall the chants, Jane felt disappointment invade her chest. As her vision adjusted, the astrophysicist moved her arms to her head to nurture the hurt there.

Sparks of blurriness clouded over her until her eyes had time to fully adjust. Red holograms were drifting above her. A tipper heartbeat palpitated against her ribcage as she swelled with excitement. Her fingers inched up to the hologram and began to calibrate the alien device. The shapes reconfigured into the general shape of the astrophysicist.

She squealed with delight, "This is a quantum field generator!" Echoes bounced about the dreary area. "Fascinating!"

Eir could not tolerate a menial human working the Soul Forge, so she aggressively (but gently) tapped away the mortal's restless hands. "It is a Soul Forge," she sternly corrected.

Jane precociously lifted a brow and sighed with a pronounced, impatient sigh, "Does a Soul Forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"

The old healer paused in her place and casted an appalled frown at the prince. She spoke something in their decrepit dialect until the older woman whipped her attention back down to the human, "It is a _Soul Forge_."

Curious brown eyes electrified as they examined the contraption. A smile grew the longer their attention was settled above. Jane laughed and lifted her hands again to the device's holograms, " _It_ is a quantum field generator! I never thought I'd actually ever see one...I-I-I mean to _be_ this close? What are the specs of this thing? How exactly are you able to―"

A large, lethal grip snagged her hands toward the side of the flat examination table. The action warranted Jane's attention for the moment. Hands as those holding hers captive were too bitter to be friendly. They were smooth and had only hints of calluses around the lines across the pale expanses. Those fingers claiming hers clung onto her as if an extension of her own soul. The man those hands belonged to moved a hand to her throat and openly squeezed without care to the old healer.

Frosty mountain backs defiantly broke through a dull haze of sharp green fragments in his gaze. Those eyes secured a tremble deep within, close to her heart. He would kill her if he set to that course of action. This was a man who would not spare another thought after doing so.

He was dangerous and wildly curious to her.

His guarded stare was met with challenging, determined eyes so bold it caused him to narrow his own frosty hues. As her attention crept closer to the unsatisfied curiosity vacating her senses, Jane studied his eyes. At the core was the large center, a powerful central nucleus to the environment beyond the blackness. Shocks of blue catastrophically dominated those softer, sharper shards of that unique green. The shade branded to him like a signature for him alone. She never seen anything quite like it, and that fascinated her terribly.

"Stop staring and keep still. You've suffered a broken leg and other troublesome wounds Eir needs to heal without your unwanted distractions," the man snorted suddenly as he swallowed noticeably.

Jane saw no point to ask the most logical and more ridiculous questions...' _How'd_ _my leg break? How'd I get injured?...Why were his eyes insistent on throwing daggers at me?_ ' Instead, the astrophysicist insisted, "Where in the universe am I, who was in the rainbow cylinder, and why are you acting like I am some rare species of fungus?"

The pale man narrowed his eyes rather quickly and leaned over her. His grip tightened at her throat, "You will not ask _me_ questions. My patience is in limited supply."

Her eyes slid over his as her hand moved over his. Upon their shared, brief connection, he loosened the grip a bit and pulled his hand away. Her fingers coiled over his quickly. He openly attempted to throw her hand away from him. As he did so, she took a moment to fix her attention on their breaking hands. Her adequately sun-kissed skin prominently contrasted to his ghostly, pale, porcelain skin.

Jane configured his reaction that she annoyed him. Leave it to her to capitalize that tenfold. "I can't imagine there's much demand for your patience, honestly," she quipped. That joke never worked on Earth, and she wondered if it would here...wherever 'here' was.

Liquid fury flooded his heavy, vacant eyes, though only for a brief, cosmic millisecond. Otherwise, he remained quiet aloof. Jane wasn't shocked that he didn't laugh. She wasn't commonly known for her humor...or lack thereof. A dazzling array of retorts invaded her imagination. She was intrigued when he chose to remain quiet.

The human conceded and pulled her hand away from him, "You win." Her hands patted down her stomach to smooth the lumberjack button down shirt clinging loosely at her body.

The man relaxed and turned to the healer...Eir. He purposely waited to open his mouth for precisely four seconds, "Continue―"

"Wait!" her hand shot up to catch his armored elbow. He took off his golden horned helmet and magically casted it to oblivion. The act caught her attention until he summoned a knife out of thin air and slammed it on the stone beside her cheek.

He gripped her hair roughly and eased his hand behind her head swiftly as he lowered menacingly close to her face. His eyes were wide with an intolerable frenzy and wild wonder. Somehow they were darker than they were before. When he positioned himself perfectly, strategically, he tugged on her hair as he settled her head to an comfortable angle, causing her to wince slightly as she was forced to stare at his blind rage.

"Do not test me, human. You are not a _guest_ here! You are my captive until we know more information. You will not continue to ask me questions. You will shut your incessant mewling right this instant...or I shall kill you upon the same whim that shares no relation to morals," he warned as a swarm of bitter fury swelled his eyes.

The flickering torchlight cast a devious shadow on his strong, angular features. A flash of orange stained his cool features as it danced between the abbreviated space between them. The bob at his throat distracted her briefly, but her focus strained over his eyes at this close proximity. The long fingers clutching the back of her head eased slightly, and she was able to lift her head higher. _Closer_.

Those eyes were fascinating...possibly the most fascinating things in the room despite the tricks he showed her with his disappearing helmet. Another curiosity was seeing the old healer speaking unheard words to someone to her left. _No one_ was there, though. These details were dazzling. And _he_ was causing all these curiosities. She was sure of it.

Elastic brown eyes slid back over his inscrutable hues. They were glassy and strong, but only beneath a sheath of vulnerable estrangement. The blue swirled around the globes passing over the fragments of forested flecks. The green there was maddening and something to study thoroughly. Earthy, frosty colors fought within the confined space for dominance.

Her head twitched with realization, and she whispered, "You're eyes are green!" Jane felt a satisfied grin form over her plush lips. This sort of grin proposed she found something to get into she shouldn't have. It was a grin she cracked only on the rarest, glorious occasions. Years had passed since her last...not since finding her first lead of the Einstein-Rosen Bridge theory.

Of all the moments this grin surfaced, Jane firmly knew _this_ was her greatest discovery. _This_ was a secret for her to keep _. These_ were a gateway to his core, his secrets, his soul she speculated. _This_ discovery only brought a greedy need to know more of his secrets...beyond the magic floating in his eyes. A sever burst of hunger leapt in her stomach.

He lowered his head as she felt him raise hers. Nerves ignited within her tightening skin, so she coped by biting her lip lightly. This caught his undivided attention. Those eyes fell to her mouth and studied them for a space of time she was unable to quantify successfully. The man lowered closer to them, almost touching his lips to hers. Static sparked below the pores on her perspiring skin.

Instantly, he shook his head lightly, but remained close to her mouth. The armored man threw his eyes dangerously over hers again. As she examined them again, his grip at the back of her head tightened slightly as his eyes shifted to the blue shade. The glorious green in his eyes disappeared, and she felt a bold disappointment weigh at her chest.

In response, Jane drew her brows close to the center of her face. She watched as the vulnerability translucently fade away, replaced with a clear lack of emotion. The moment was stolen by the frown that worked his thin, but wondrous mouth. The deeper his frown became, the more distance he put between them. He released her gently and stood sharply, taking a step back into a hologram copy of himself.

Eir glanced over Jane and shoved her gently against the table, "You must be still, child. Or does having a broken leg appeal to you in a way I'm not grasping?"

The human caught the laugh stuck in her throat and released it in an attempt to release the tension in her chest. She complied with her order and flattened against the cool surface, closing her eyes, "Why do I feel no pain? How did this happen?"

" _More_ questions, child?" she fumed.

The astrophysicist rolled her eyes, but politely shut up. Her eyes remained intent on the quantum field generator.

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 **Breviary-Rose**

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 _All reviews and reads are highly appreciated._


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